March 28, 2024

New year, New TUU

University is back with a brand new student association!

The Tasmanian University Union (TUU) has been reincarnated and emerged as The Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA). After a stressful year for the university sector and its students, the emergence of TUSA and their mission to activate UTAS campuses comes as a welcome addition to the student experience.  

Back at uni this week, there’s a different energy in the air. The campus is buzzing, conversations more engaged, the lure of studying in your pyjamas no longer has the same lustre. After nearly a year of remote learning, being on campus feels closer to the university that our parents experienced, one in which lifelong friendships were formed in common rooms and lecture halls. For Braydon Broad, the State President of the Tasmanian University Student Association (TUSA), this change was palpable at the recent Clubs & Societies Day, where even strict COVID safe measures could not dampen the thrill of a reinvigorated campus community.  

Clubs & Societies Day 2021

There are currently a total of 137 UTAS Clubs and Societies and after the success of Clubs & Societies Day, Braydon feels that TUSA is better placed than ever to help support them and foster their growth.

Why the change?

The move away from the word ‘Union’ was a deliberate shift towards a better representation of the organisation says Braydon, who acknowledges that being called a union led to some confusion on campus (There’s talk of faculty staff coming by with workplace complaints but we won’t go there!)

 However, the change of name and funky new logo is much more than superficial, TUSA has gone through structural changes from the board level to the student representatives to better serve the students of UTAS.  

If you worked at the TUU four years ago and came back now, it would be totally different. It’s the same building but a totally different vibe.  

Braydon Broad

Rest assured though, the services and advocacy that were core to TUSA’s previous incarnation still remain. Sam Gorringe, General Manager of TUSA is hopeful that the rebrand will allow for greater awareness of TUSA and the services that they provide. Services such as migration and legal advice, financial support and food insecurity support remain remain a core part of TUSA’s offerings.

After a year in which many students struggled with feelings of disconnect from university life, TUSA’s dedication to activating campuses, reinvigorating clubs and societies and providing more accessible services to students could not have come at a more perfect time.  

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